Phonograph record cleaner and needle protector



Oct.

14, 1941. L; STONE. JR

PHONOGRAPH RECORD CLEANER AND NEEDLE PROTECTOR Filed Nov. 14, 1940 IN VENTOR. LA wez/vcz 570mg 1? ATTOP/ViY Patented Oct. 14, 1941 OFFICE PHONOGRAPH RECORD CLEANER AND NEEDLE PROTECTOR Lawrence Stone, Jr., Denver, Colo. Application November 14, 1940, Serial No. 365,617

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a combined phonographic needle protector and record cleaner.

In the modern phonographs, more particularly the coin operated phonographs, veryexpensive needles, having a jewel set in the point, are used. These needles will play hundreds of records but are comparatively fragile and delicate and if subjected to a side blow or dropped upon a recrd, they may be completely destroyed.

The principal object of this device is to provide anautomatic protector which will surround the needle and protect it from damage when not in use and which will also act as a cushion to prevent the needle from striking the record with destructive force.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a device of this character, which will also act to clean dust and other foreign materials from the record in advan e of the needle; which can be economically manufactured; and which can be quickly and easily applied to the tone arm of any of the modern electric phonographs without altering or damaging the latter.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become more apparent from the following description. 7

In the following detailed description of the invention reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

1 Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, perspective view illustrating the invention in place on a typical phonograph tone arm;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of the pick-up extremity of a tone arm with the invention in place thereon illustrating the position of the protector when the arm is lifted from the record;

Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating the position of the protector when the arm is in the playing attachment screws I3 and is provided with a needle clamp screw l4 extending through the extremity of the tone arm. The clamp screw is for the purpose of securing a record contacting needle IS in place. The best quality needles terminate at their lower extremities in jewels ['6, such as a sapphire, which travels in the groove of the record.

This invention is more particularly designed to prevent the sapphire jewel Hi from striking external objects and from striking on the record with destructive force.

The improved protector preferably consists of a metallic, substantially T-shaped, frame H. The head of the frame forms a yoke l8 having two upstanding ears l9 which when in use extend upwardly on opposite sides of the tone arm I 2. Each ear is provided With a pointed pivot screw 20 which, when screwed against the tone arm, will imbed their points therein to form pivot members. The screws are locked in position by means of suitable lock nuts 2 I.

The forward extremity of the frame I! terminates in a needle enclosing sleeve 22 through the open center of which the needle l5 extends when the device is in place.

A record cleaning pad 23 is secured to the frame I! immediately back of the sleeve 22. This pad may consist of any suitable soft material such as felt, wool, or hair, and may be secured to the frame in any desired manner. It is preferred to secure it in a channel formed by rolling the edges of the frame downwardly and inwardly, as

shown at 24. This forms a clamping channel to hold the pad in place. In addition the pad may be cemented or otherwise secured to the frame.

When in place on the tone arm, a compression spring 25 is positioned between the lower face of the arm l2 and the upper face of the frame IT. A spring depression 26 is formed in the frame I! to hold the latter in place.

The action of the device is believed to be readily understood from the above description and drawing. The frame is secured to the tone arm immediately back of the needle, as shown in Fig. 1. When the arm is lifted from the record, the spring 24 forces the protecting sleeve 22 downwardly so that it will surround and protect the delicate jeweled extremity of the needle. As the needle is lowered on the record, the pad 23 contacts the surface thereof and forces the sleeve upwardly to expose the needle, as shown in Fig. 2. The pad therefore serves both as a lifter for the protecting sleeve and as a cleaner for the record.

The downward movement of the sleeve is limited by the rear extremity of the frame I! which contacts the bottom of the tone arm when the frame is in the position of Fig. 2.

Should the tone arm be accidentally dropped on to the record, the pad 23 and the spring 25 will absorb the shock before the point of the needle engages the record.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same may be varied, withinv the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A phonographic needle protector comprising: a needle enclosing sleeve about the phonographic needle; a frame extending rearwardly from said sleeve; a yoke member on the rear of said frame; ears extending upwardly from said yoke member; pivot means in said ears for engaging the tone arm of a phonograph; and a record contacting device carried by said frame below said protecting member for lifting the latter above the point of the needle when the latter is lowered into contact with a record.

2. A phonographic needle protector comprising: a needle enclosing sleeve; a frame extending from said sleeve; means for pivotally mounting one extremity of said frame on the tone arm of a phonograph; a record contacting member projecting below said frame for lifting said sleeve above the point of the needle when the latter is brought into contact with a record; and spring means for urging said frame away from said tone arm.

3. Means for-protecting the point of a phonograph needle comprising: a frame member; means for pivoting one extremity of said frame member from the tone arm of a phonograph; a needle enclosing sleeve at the other extremity of said frame; and record engaging means carried by said frame and positioned below said sleeve to engage a phonograph record in ad-' Vance of the engagement of the phonograph needle therewith to support said sleeve above the contact point of said needle.

LAWRENCE STONE, JR. 

